ErgoDox Review, an Ergonomic Mechanical Keyboard via Massdrop
by Jarred Walton on August 27, 2013 12:00 AM ESTSubjective Evaluation of the ErgoDox
I’ve covered the layout and some of the configuration options, and at least from a high level it looks like all the necessary ingredients are present for the ErgoDox to work well. Naturally, the proof is in the eating of the pudding, so let’s discuss how things work in practice. This is a far more subjective matter, as what one person likes/dislikes may or may not matter to someone else. Getting a chance to personally try some of these expensive keyboards is a bit difficult, unfortunately, so you may be stuck simply buying on blind faith. With the Kinesis and TECK, you at least have the opportunity to return the keyboard if you don’t like it; with an ErgoDox from Massdrop, once you buy it you own it. But then, there’s likely people out there that would happily buy a properly working and assembled ErgoDox if you don’t like it, so eBay is always an option.
One of the things I’ve noticed in my time with the ErgoDox is that the keys are somewhat larger and spaced out more than on the TECK and Kinesis keyboards, so depending on the size of your hands and fingers it can feel like you’re stretching more to hit certain keys. It’s not necessarily bad (says the guy who's 6'3"), but for some people it may end up feeling less comfortable than other options. As with the Kinesis, I also find reaching down to the cursor keys and brackets to be a bit difficult, though I’ve mostly acclimated to the new locations now. Personally, I think anyone with smaller hands will be better served by other keyboard options, and in fact of the three ergonomic keyboards that I’ve tested, I unfortunately have to say that the ErgoDox is the least comfortable for me to use.
Typing speed on the other hand isn’t really a problem – I’m just as fast with the ErgoDox as I am with the Kinesis or TECK, which means around 70-75WPM. The margin of error in taking a typing test is somewhat larger than with a normal benchmark, so I’m not going to bother creating any graphs this time, as I don’t want anyone trying to draw conclusions based on some ad-hoc benchmarks. Familiarity with any particular keyboard also plays a role, so some of my earlier typing results may not be entirely valid. The short summary of typing speed is that I might be slightly faster with some of the ergonomic keyboards compared to a standard keyboard, but it’s more a question of comfort than speed. Mostly, I end up having to think about what I’m writing more than I have to wait on my fingers to get thoughts out, so at 70WPM I’m running into bottlenecks in my head and not in the keyboard.
Getting back to the comfort question, I know that I just said I found the ErgoDox to be the least comfortable – for me! – of the three ergonomic keyboards that I’ve tested, but that doesn’t make it decidedly uncomfortable. In fact, I switched briefly to a standard keyboard for a bit just to see what I thought, and the way it kinks my wrists became immediately noticeable and undesirable. The ErgoDox may not be better than the Kinesis in my book, but it’s definitely a step up from a straight keyboard. Those with larger hands (and/or broader shoulders) might also find it’s actually more comfortable than a TECK or Kinesis.
There’s another issue I’ve had with all three keyboards that I’ve tested: the 10-key support, or lack thereof. On the TECK and Kinesis, there’s at least an attempt to include an integrated 10-key; on the ErgoDox I received, you can press the Fn key and get access to a 10-key on the right hand, but holding down Fn the whole time isn’t something I want to do, plus the layout is all messed up relative to a normal 10-key. But, going back to the layout remapping utility, you can actually put together an alternate layer with a 10-key and the equivalent of a Num Lock if you so choose, similar to how the Dvorak layer sits on top of the QWERTY layout. It’s a bit trickier to implement, as you basically have to build it for both the QWERTY and Dvorak modes as another layer, using the Push/Pop layers option, but it’s possible.
The default 10-key doesn’t really match what I’d like, with the numerical operations being in the wrong locations, and the function keys up top get in the way as well. If you want to try mimicking a regular 10-key, I took a stab at my own layout (which doesn’t match the key labels of course); there are now five layers, with the fourth and fifth layers being essentially the same, but the fourth layer returns to QWERTY mode when you press “Num Lock” and the fifth layer returns to Dvorak mode. For the Num Lock key, I used the right side Star (initially mapped to the Start Menu). If you’re interested, you can try out my alternate 10-Key mode; however, let me just say that I don’t do nearly as well on that 10-key as I do with a standard 10-key (I’m about half as fast right now, though I could improve with practice if needed).
And if you don’t see how cool that above paragraph is, this may not be the keyboard for you. Yes, you can customize other keyboards with various software utilities, but the customizations don’t stay with the keyboard if you move to another system. With the ErgoDox and the handy key remapping utility (and Teensy firmware programming software), the possibilities are vast. With the standard blank key caps (or if you find them elsewhere, some labeled keys), you can basically do whatever you want on the layout. My layout has QWERTY, Dvorak, and now an integrated 10-key with a more or less standard layout (other than the plus sign, enter key, and zero keys). Dvorak may be the most well-known alternative to QWERTY, but I’ve had a few people suggest going with Colemak if I ever try making a switch, and it would be relatively simple to add Colemak if I wanted. In fact, whatever layout you can come up with, you can make the ErgoDox match it with a bit of effort – as long as you don’t need more than 76 keys and you like the ErgoDox key arrangement, of course. You can also do additional key mapping with the Fn (or any other key, really), so for example a lot of laptop users get used to hitting Fn+[Cursor] for PgUp/PgDn/Home/End; it’s super easy to add that to the ErgoDox.
The lack of differentiation among the keys is another potential benefit with the ErgoDox. There are three key sizes used: the standard size key is used for all of the numbers and letters, cursor keys, etc.; there’s a 1.5x size key used for F4/F5, PgUp/PgDn, and the eight keys on the right and left sides of the keyboard; finally, there are four 2x size keys on the thumbs. You can interchange any of those keys with any other same-sized key (assuming you have labeled keys, naturally; otherwise there's no need to move anything around), and the ErgoDox kit from Massdrop even includes a handy key removal tool to help out. From there, the proverbial sky is the limit to what you can do, but anything truly advanced might require you to make your own PCB. Anyway, I’m not one to heavily mod my PCs, but if you fall into that category, pairing up a highly customized PC case with a similarly themed ErgoDox keyboard could be a real attention grabber.
There’s one last subjective item I want to discuss: gaming capability. The ability to remap any/all keys as you see fit should allow you to work around some of the idiosyncrasies of the ErgoDox, but just on a pure usability level I find that it’s not the greatest keyboard for gaming. It’s not untenable by any means, but really I think gamers are generally best served by a normal keyboard layout, or at the very most a keyboard that doesn’t mix things up too much like the TECK. Having a keyboard with macro support can also be useful for games – so basically more keys is better rather than fewer keys like most of the ergonomic keyboards I’ve looked at. Ultimately, it comes down to how much time and effort you’re willing to invest, as with a bit of tweaking of config files and key bindings I think most keyboards will be fine for gaming.
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labrats5 - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
My buddy just got the ergodox, and I can say with great certainty that customization is the main draw. his entire layout was painstakingly designed by scratch to match his exact needs and idiosyncrasies. His goal was to do most everything on or near the home row while using the thumbs for chording, thus making his finger movements more similar to those of a stenographer than of a traditional keyboard typist. He loves the thing to death, but it is only worth getting if you put in the effort.Ninhalem - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
Jarred, you have one weird QWERTY layout on your Ergodox. Mine has the "6" key on the left hand, and where your key currently is placed, mine has the "ESC" key. I have the Push Layers and Toggle Layer buttons where your F4 and F5 keys are, the "Backspace" key is on the left hand in place of the "Space" key.The beauty of ErgoDox is that you can create a layout all your own to fit your own hand size. I went in on an earlier drop that included PBT DCS blank key caps. The only thing I have to do now, is keep a picture of my current layout in front of me in order to memorize where all the keys are placed now.
jjegla - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
I have two ErgoDoxen, one full-hand and one classic (I also prefer the full-hand version). You really should have emphasized at the _beginning_ of your review how customizable these are, because your experience with your OOTB layout is meaningless, as that layout is meaningless - change it to what suits you, as you eventually did. For example, my own standard layout contains three RETURN, three SPACE and two DELETE keys so that I'm never far from one, and exposed F5, F10 and F11 for convenient Visual Studio debugging. I certainly won't be switching back to any other keyboard any time soon, and may even buy a couple more of these, but they are not perfect. They really were designed by someone with large hands - I have trouble reaching the thumb clusters without shifting my entire hand. Also, the use of so many 1.5x keys makes it a very expensive proposition to get labelled keycaps for a custom layout - those 1.5x keys will run you upwards of $7 _each_! Right now I just have sticky labels on mine (yes, the keycaps you can buy from MassDrop _are_ blank). I'm gearing up to buy custom keycaps, but will probably use 1x keys in place of the 1.5x ones just to save on cost (yes, it will be slightly harder to reach them). All-in-all, a really cool project and product and I'm glad to have found it.JarredWalton - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
Thanks for the feedback, and you're totally correct. I wasn't entirely sure how the kit comes since mine was pre-assembled, but now that I know I've tweaked several areas of the article to emphasize the customization options. Really, other than being limited to 76 keys and having a less compact feel than some of the other ergo keyboards, there aren't any real deal breakers here. It's a very cool idea, though obviously not something you'd buy on a whim unless you have a lot of disposable income. :-)jjegla - Wednesday, August 28, 2013 - link
By the way, thanks indeed for this series of reviews - I've quite enjoyed them. Didn't mean to sound too harsh there in that previous comment. You're a glutton for punishment, to the benefit of all of us.I happen to have also purchased a TECK keyboard a while ago - I tried it for at least a couple of months, carrying it back-and-forth between work and home, but I just could not come to like the darn thing. For me, the problem was really the key layout, not the size or shape. The way that they chose to lay out the "command" keys (return, shift, ctrl, alt, etc.) was really weird and just killed my productivity. It also really hurt my ability to type on normal keyboards. In the end, I scavenged the keycaps to use on my first ErgoDox. I just saw, a couple of days ago, that TECK have finally come out with a fully-reprogrammable firmware ala ErgoDox. I may have to reassemble the thing and try it again...
One last note: my TECK had Cherry MX Browns, my ErgoDoxen have Blues (really because that was all that MassDrop could source at the time, I believe). I really like the Blues. They are very loud and clicky-clacky, but it sounds cool and for me they are easier to actuate than the quieter Browns - perhaps has something to do with predicting the actuation point based on the sound or something.
jesh462 - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
Jarred,I just wanted to say that I'm super thankful for all the reviews on keyboards you have posted.
I didn't get my first computer until the age of 14 (now 26), but I've always had the mentality that it's better to use ergo products and avoid RSI than to take the risk of injury.
For years and years I've only used the Microsoft Natural 4000. Even though the one I have now is fairly new, I'm now contemplating jumping ship to an ErgoDox. I simply love messing with things and breaking them and fixing them. This keyboard you recently reviewed sounds perfect. Before your first article, I had no idea there were mechanical ergo keyboards!
Anyway, thanks again, you the man.
emilyhex - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
I am always interested and intrigued by new UI devices and I really appreciate these reviews. But, I personally couldn't justify buying this. After customizing it and buying accessories, it's like you are meeting the device half-way, conforming to the device instead of the other way around. Money aside, is the increase in productivity or comfort going to be that much worth the effort and are you going to drag this with you every time you choose to work away from your home base?I'm sticking with my wireless that I can plop in my lap from time to time. I have learned where all the quirks are, even if it isn't perfect. I'll patiently wait for the next game changer.
Bromsin - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
Sigh, another failure in ergonomics. Keyboard manufacturers need some anatomy classes if they want to create a proper ergonomic keyboard.Flat keyboards are NOT truly ergonomic as the hands\wrists natural state is not flat. Out of all the so called ergonomic keyboards I have seen, only the Microsoft natural keyboards come close to true ergonomics.
I am sure you are asking, Why? Simple really, the natural position for hands\wrists when typing is at an angle, with the thumbs slightly higher than the pinkies. This is why the Microsoft wave looking keyboards with the high point in the center is the proper position for typing.
Same holds true when punching. When you punch a punching bag, your fist should be on an angle with your index finger nuckle being the highest point. That is the natural position of the arm.
If these companies want to create a truly ergonomic keyboard, look to Microsoft's Natural 4000 and figure out how to make that mechanical.
2disbetter - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
This wasn't made by a company, but by the keyboard enthusiasts collective.JarredWalton - Tuesday, August 27, 2013 - link
The need for a raised center really has more to do with the position of the rest of the elements. If you're trying to type with the keyboard halves centered and close together in front of your body, yes, raising the middle and canting them would be desirable -- and of course you could add some foot rests to accomplish this. But if you move them apart so that you basically reach straight forward from your shoulders, it's far less of a concern. One thing I definitely think you need to try before drawing any more conclusions is to use a keyboard that doesn't have a staggered layout. The staggering was basically a factor of the time when it was first created, as it helped them to get the keys and mechanical levers together. With modern keyboards having replaced typewriters, there are far fewer moving parts and size and spacing can be as large or small as you want. I'm now using that Goldtouch Go!2 I mentioned in the final paragraph, and let me tell you I'm already very much missing the orthogonal layouts of the previous three keyboards.